Final Fantasy is a Japanese science fantasy media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi and owned by Square Enix, which began with a role-playing video game in 1987 and now includes 16 main numbered entries. Unlike traditional sequels, the main games are an anthology, each featuring a new world, plot, and cast of heroes, but they are linked by recurring gameplay mechanics, character names, and themes of battling great evil while exploring personal struggles. The franchise has expanded into other video game genres (action, MMO, rhythm) and media like films, anime, and manga, making it a cultural phenomenon. Commercially and critically, it is one of the best-selling franchises ever, with over 200 million copies sold, and is celebrated for its innovation, cutting-edge visuals (such as the 3D graphics of Final Fantasy VII in 1997), and iconic music by Nobuo Uematsu. The series evolved from the NES era (1987–1990) through the SNES (1991–1994) to the PlayStation, where Final Fantasy VII marked a major shift to 3D graphics and a more modern setting.